He was going to stay only for a year, but one turned into another, and another, until two decades later, Christian Welp wouldn't think of living anywhere else.

A foreign-exchange student and adventuresome son of a German schoolteacher, Welp simply wanted to sample another culture when he first showed up in the area.

He couldn't have left if he wanted. Seven-footers with the ability to score a lot of points with a basketball don't wander through Seattle all that often.

Welp went from all-state center at Silverdale's Olympic High School to the University of Washington's all-time leading scorer to battle-tested pro in the NBA and Europe. Since then, teammates and jersey colors have changed over and over, but not his adopted home. "I've seen a chunk of the world and this was the place for me," he says.

Welp, who turned 40 Friday and retired from competitive basketball five years ago, lives in Brier with his wife, Melanie, and sons Collin, 5, and Nicholas, 21 months. A daughter from his first marriage, Allison, 13, resides in Dallas.

The once nimble post player is a regular guy now, chasing the kids around, working in sales for a Woodinville construction supply company and in recent seasons helping coach the big guys at Edmonds Community College.

Welp doesn't need much -- just the Pacific Northwest.

His basketball travels took him to Philadelphia, San Antonio and Golden State during a three-year NBA career, plus Germany, Greece and Italy for another nine seasons. His down time always was spent in and around Seattle.

"In Philadelphia, I played there and lived here," he said. "When I played in Germany, I lived here. I'd just take a couple of suitcases and go. In Germany, the day after the season, I'd fly back here. The day before training camp, I'd fly out of here. I consider myself a resident since 1983."

Welp had the key to the city while manning the pivot for the UW from 1984-87. He was a four-year starter and three-time All-Pac-10 selection, getting selected league freshman of the year and, as a junior, conference player of the year.

For the Huskies, he averaged 16.8, 13.0, 19.4 and 20.8 points per game, respectively, finishing with 2,073 points.

Welp played on the UW's last two Pac-10 championship teams in 1984 and '85, and is one of just three Huskies to have appeared in three NCAA tournaments, a group that also includes Shag Williams and Kevin Vidato.

The big German with the soft shooting touch was the 16th player taken in the 1987 NBA draft by the 76ers, who needed someone to man the front line alongside Charles Barkley. Welp made good progress, moving into the starting lineup as a rookie, but fate had other plans.Playing in a December game in Chicago, Welp tore up his knee, slipping on a wet floor. A Blackhawks hockey game had been held in the arena the night before and the weather was unseasonably warm, lending to risky conditions on a court placed on top of the ice.

"There was condensation on the floor and the ball boys were mopping the floor the whole game," he said, recalling that Michael Jordan scored 56 that night while his Sixers won. "It was so severe, my knee never got back to the level it was before. But no excuses."

After surgery, Welp played another season for Philadelphia, before a pair of trades sent him to the Spurs and Warriors. By 1991, he was back playing in his native Germany. It seemed like the best fit.

"I would have loved to stay longer in the NBA," he said. "But unless I came to a perfect team that really needed me, and not knowing how strong my knee would become, and not knowing if I would get the chance, I decided to go away and go where I could succeed."

In Europe, Welp won nine championships in as many seasons, an accomplishment that makes him most proud.

Now that it's over, individual highlights are hard to pinpoint. He played in a lot of gyms, scored a lot of points. Memories blend together.

However, there is one outing he distinctly remembers. He was an NBA rookie, got 16 points and was still maneuvering on two good knees. It was his first game against the Sonics.

It was a time for inspiration -- time to daydream.

"I really wanted to play against Seattle," he said, "and for Seattle."